


Tale of Twin Tacticians

by Digipokewhoofian10



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, POV Alternating, POV First Person, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-16 03:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17541914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Digipokewhoofian10/pseuds/Digipokewhoofian10
Summary: When Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick all spot someone unconscious on the ground, they find not one but two people unconscious.





	1. Ylissean Royalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyx's Point of View
> 
> The twins are found by the Shepherds and are brought to the Haildom of Ylisse.

"Chrom, we have to do something!"

"What do you propose we do?"

"Er... uh... I don't know!"

 Those were the first words I heard when I woke up that day with no memories. My eyes fluttered open, and I saw two people standing in front of me, a man with deep blue hair, and eyes to match, alongside a woman with pale blonde hair, and light blue eyes.

"I see you're awake now." The male said leaning closer.

"Hey there." The female said, crouching down close to my face.

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground you know. Give me your hand." The male spoke, offering out his right hand. I took his hand with my own right hand. He pulled me up from the ground and I saw as he did the same for the person laying next to me.

"Brother!" I exclaimed seeing the face of the young man that had been laying next to me.

"Sister! Thank the Gods!" My brother exclaimed, wrapping his arms around me tightly, and I did the same.

"You all right?" Asked the man with the blue hair.

"Yes... Thank you, Chrom." My brother and I spoke.

"Ah, then you know who I am?" He questioned.

"Ah... no, actually..." I replied softly. Puzzled at myself even.

"The young woman beside you said it, and so I presumed it was your name." My brother answered.

"Hmm, how curious. Tell me, what are your names? What brings you both here?" Chrom mused for a moment, before asking another pair of questions.

"My name...? It is... uhm..." My brows furrowed and I stared at the ground, searching for a name. But it was empty. Nothing.

"I can't remember either... all I know is that she is my sister." My brother spoke. I nodded in agreement. All I remembered was my brother, and only small vague things anyway.

"You don't know your own names? Or each others?" Chrom asked, seeming to become almost as confused as I.

"I apologize, I'm... er... where are we, exactly?" I asked, my eyes looking up from the ground and towards Chrom.

"Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!" Exclaimed the blonde who stood next to Chrom.

"It's called a load of pegasus dung. We're to believe you remember milord's name, but not your own? And two of you?" A tall man with large armor of the other side of Chrom spoke.

"But it's the truth!" I nervously exclaimed, with my small stature it would be simple for the man who spoke to take me down.

"What if it  _is_ true, Frederick? We can't just leave them here, alone and confused. What sort of Shepherds would we be then?" Chrom asked, looking towards the tall armored man.

"Just the same, milord, I must emphasize caution. 'Twould not do to let a wolf into our flock." The man, who I safely assumed was Frederick, spoke, his eyes on me and my brother.

"Right then-we'll take them back to town and sort this out there." Chrom replied.

"Wait just one moment. Do we have a say in this?" My brother asked, grabbing onto my arm and gently pulling me behind him.

"Peace, friends-I promise we'll hear all you have to say back in town. Now come." Chrom said calmly.

"Fine. Sister, stay close to me. Please." My brother replied, then quickly looking to me. I nodded firmly and we began to walk. After a few moments, my brother spoke again. "What will you do with us? Are we to be your prisoners?" He asked, his voice a bit aggressive.

"Hah! You'll be free to go once we establish you're no enemy of Ylisse." Chrom replied with a chuckle.

"Is that where we are? Ylisse?" I asked quietly, still standing a bit behind my brother.

"You've never heard of the halidom? Ha! Someone pay these actors. They play quite the fools! The furrowed brows are especially convincing." Frederick spoke his eyes on me and my brother. I nervously grabbed onto the arm of my brother's cloak, not liking how Frederick looked at me in the slightest.

"Frederick, please. This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the exalt. I suppose proper introductions are in order. My name is Chrom-but then, you already know that." Chrom spoke, looking towards us, his expression much softer than Frederick's. "The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa." Chrom spoke, gesturing to the young blonde that stood next to him.

"I am  _not_ delicate! Hmph!" Lissa exclaimed, puffing up her cheeks and pouting. "Ignore my brother, please. He can be a bit thick sometimes. But you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would've been a rude awakening!" She said, turning from Chrom, to face us.

"Shepherds? You tend sheep? In... full armor?" I quietly asked, glancing at the heavy looking armor Frederick wore.

"Heh, it's a dangerous job. Just ask Frederick the Wary here." Chrom replied with a smile.

"A title I shall wear with pride. Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution. I have every wish to trust you, strangers, but my station mandates otherwise." Frederick spoke.

"I... I understand, sir. I would do no less myself, given I was in your situation." I replied, looking up at Frederick. "My name is Nyx." I added.

"And mine is Norril. Nyx is my younger sister." My brother added.

"H-hey wait a moment! You're only five minutes older than me! I remember that now too!" I exclaimed, my attention turning to my brother. He was much taller than me, but aside from that, we looked near identical. Our eyes matched, an amber brown color, as did our hair, a deep purple shade.

"Norril? Nyx? Are those foreign? Ah, well we can discuss it later. We're almost to town. Once we-" Chrom began to speak, only to be interrupted by a shriek from his sister.

"Chrom, look! The town!" Lissa exclaimed, pointing towards a town in the distance.

"Smoke..." I softly said, seeing the large dark grey pillars moving towards the sky from the buildings.

"Damn it! The town is ablaze! Those blasted brigands, no doubt... Frederick, Lissa! Quickly!" Chrom exclaimed, his voice carrying anger and urgency.

"What about them?" Frederick swiftly asked, gesturing towards Norril and me.

"Unless they are on fire as well, it can wait!" Chrom shouted.

"Aptly put, milord." Frederick nodded.

"Let's go already!" Lissa cried before the three ran off, leaving the two of us behind.

"Norril. We have weapons. We can help them." I spoke, looking up at my brother. "We should at the very least help the people in the town. Please."

"If you insist. But should it come to it I want you to flee. You have to run. Promise me this Nyx." Norril replied, his eyes looking directly into mine.

"I promise. Let's hurry now brother, fire spreads quickly!" I said urgently. We both nodded at each other and gave chase. Hurrying to the burning town. The town drew closer and closer, the flames seemed to not be moving very much in the area that Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick had stopped.

"Wait!" I exclaimed as we caught up to them.

"Norril! Nyx! You followed us! Why?" Chrom asked confused and worried.

"I followed at Nyx's request." Norril replied curtly.

"I can't just stand by and let innocents die when I can do something!" I exclaimed, looking around what would become our battlefield. "Norril and I are both armed! We can fight! Even if you won't accept us as allies I will fight anyway! I won't allow people who did nothing to deserve this to die!"

"Of course-strength in numbers. Just stay close!" Chrom exclaimed, turning towards the fight.

"We face practiced thieves and murderers. They will grant us no quarter. It's kill or be killed." Frederick said aloud. I nodded, knowing just what I was going up against.

"Norril. Look. There are stalls that we could use to our advantage." I spoke, spotting four stalls that held various items.

"We can use them as protection. It is hard to stab someone who stands on the other side of a stall with a blade." Norril replied with a nod.

"Yes, and we have spells. Which will hit them no matter what. Let's do this Norril!" I exclaimed, rather excited to be helping save others. "Lissa, you carry only a healing staff and some Vulneraries yes? Enemies will be prone to attack you, so stay close to two or more people or stay back."

"My recommendation would be to stay near Nyx and I. We will be doing ranged damage. Chrom and Frederick will be doing close range. It would be safer for you to stay further away from foes." Norril added. "Now, let's go!" With that, Norril, Lissa, and I all approached the closest foe, hiding behind one of the stalls. "Thunder!" Norril exclaimed, lightning shooting out from his fingertips and hitting the enemy.

"My turn! Thunder! Hyaa!" I shouted, shooting lightning at the foe, finishing him off.

"Wooaahh! That was amazing! You two work together great!" Lissa exclaimed excitedly.

"It's said that of all siblings in the world, twins have the closest connection." Norril said, his eyes scanning the battle field.

"Over there is a mage. He could end up being a thorn in our side if we don't get him out of the way now. He only has one spell, and it looks like he can be taken out quickly by Chrom or Frederick." I said, nodding towards a male who was wearing a red hat and cape.

"Down that way, we have enemies that could be a bit tougher. A myrmidon and a barbarian." Norril said.

"I suppose we must have studied something like this somewhere because I certainly don't think this ability is normal." I added. "Let's get them. Chrom, Frederick, both of you should go and get the mage. If you finish him off, wait behind the cart in front of the bridge." The two men nodded, moving to attack, following my instructions. Norril, Lissa, and I moved swiftly towards the bridge.

"Are you all right, Norill, Nyx? Don't rush into danger." Chrom asked as we regrouped.

"We're fine, Chrom. Don't worry." I said with a gentle smile.

"You've lent us your strength, and that makes you a great friend." Chrom said smiling.

"Thank you. But we aren't done yet. We still have two more foes left." I replied happily.

"I will take care of the myrmidon. Chrom, you take on the boss. Nyx and Frederic, you cover his back." Norril said. "Lissa, you stay close to me." I nodded, following Chrom and Frederick towards the boss.

"Here, sheepy sheepy! Come to the slaughter!" The large axe welding man shouted, before moving to attack Chrom, only to be countered with an attack from Chrom.

"I can shoot him! Quickly! Move Chrom!" I exclaimed, waiting for Chrom to move before blasting our foe with lightning. "Norril! He's dead!"

"Good! So is mine! Looks like we did it!" Norril said running over, a large smile on his face.

"Lucky for the town, we were close by. But holy wow, Norril and Nyx! You were incredible! Swords, sorcery,  _and_ tactics! Is there anything you can't do?" Lissa said with a smile.

"You're certainly no helpless victims, that much is for sure." Chrom noted.

"Indeed. Perhaps you might even be capable of an explanation for how you came here?" Frederick asked, staring harshly at my brother and I again. I found myself grabbing onto Norril's hand instinctively.

"I understand your skepticism, Sir Frederick. And I cannot explain why my sister and I only remember some things. But please do try to believe us when we say we have nothing more to share than what has already been shared." Norril said firmly, pulling me behind him protectively once again.

"You fought to save Ylissean lives. My heart says that's enough." Chrom spoke with a smile.

"And your mind, milord? Will you not heed its counsel as well?" Frederick asked.

"Frederick, the Shepherds could use someone with Norril and Nyx's talents. We've brigands and unruly neighbors, all looking to bloody our soil. Would you really have us lose such able tacticians? Besides, I believe their story, as odd as it might be." Chrom answered.

"Th-thank you, Chrom." I said, smiling shyly.

"So how about it? Will you join us?" Chrom asked my brother and me.

"I will follow whatever Nyx chooses, so I can be there to protect her." Norril answered.

"I would be honored to join you." I happily answered.

"Then I will join as well." Norril said with a nod.

"Did you notice, milord? The brigands spoke with a Plegian accent." Frederick said.

"Plegian? What's that?" I asked.

"Plegia is Ylisse's westerly neighbor. They send small bands into our territory, hoping to instigate a war." Chrom said, frowning.

"And it's the poor townsfolk who suffer! Totally innocent, and totally helpless..." Lissa said sadly.

"They do have us, milady: Shepherds to protect the sheep. Do not be swept up in your anger. It will cloud your judgment." Frederick said to Lissa.

"I know, I know... Don't worry, I'll get used to all this." Lissa said with a smile.

"Milord, please! You must stay the night! We are simple folk of simple means, but we would gladly toast your valor with a feast!" A villager exclaimed.

 "A most generous offer, sir, and no doubt your hospitality would be grand... but I'm afraid we must hurry back to Ylisstol," Frederick said with a smile.

"Dark meat only for me, medium well, and no salt in the soup. I simply- Wait what!? We're not staying!? But, Frederick, it's nearly dark!" Lissa exclaimed, clearly unhappy about this new development.

"When night falls, we'll camp. Eat off the land, make our bed of twigs and the like... I believe you mentioned you would be "getting used to this"?" Frederick said, teasingly.

"Frederick? Sometimes I hate you." Lissa groaned.

"You've quite the stern lieutenant there." I said, gently nodding towards Frederick.

"Yeah, well, "stern" is one name for it. I can think of a few others.

"Frederick only smiles when he's about to bring down the axe." Chrom added.

"D-duly noted..." I nervously said, grabbing onto Norril's hand.

"You do realize I  _am_ still present?" Frederick spoke, clearing his throat.

"Oh, we realize." Chrom answered. I couldn't help but let out a small giggle at the antics.

"Milord remains as amusing as ever. Now then, shall we get going?" Frederick firmly said.

"All right, all right. Ready to go, Norril, Nyx? The capital isn't far." Chrom asked gently.

"I'm ready." I said, smiling as I nodded. Norril looked first at me, then at Chrom, gently nodding in reply. Norril gently squeezed my hand before we all began to walk.

Not long after we left the town, the sun set. The sounds of crickets chirping, owls hooting, and the stars in the deep blue sky.

"I told you-it's getting dark already!" Lissa sighed. "Ech! And now the bugs are out! Noisy, disgusting bugs that buzz around and crawl all over and bite you when-Agh! Won goph in mah mouph! Blech! Ptooey!" Lissa complained, a bug flying into her mouth.

"Aw, come on now, Lissa. Hardship builds character. Want to help me gather firewood?" Chrom asked, seeming a bit amused by his sister.

"Tpht! Tpht! Yeeeeeuck!" Lissa kept spitting at the ground, trying to get the bug out of her mouth, or at least the taste. "I think I swallowed it..." She sighed. "I'll pass on finding firewood, thanks. I think I've built  _quite_ enough character for one day!" She firmly exclaimed.

"We should probably think about food. I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Norril spoke up.

"Yes, I think a little hunting and gathering is in order. Now, who wants to clear a campsite?" Frederick asked.

"I can help with doing that." I answered. "Perhaps I'll find some berries we can eat as well while making camp. I recall reading a book on plants that you can and cannot eat."

"I will hunt for food, but if something happens. Just call for me, sister." Norril said to me.

"Of course, brother." I said with a gentle smile. Norril nodded before he walked off with Frederick and Chrom. "Lissa, if you spot any bushes with berries on them just call for me. Perhaps we'll find some blackberries or raspberries. Those are always safe to eat and I quite enjoy them." I said with a smile, beginning to clear up a camping site for the five of us. I began to softly hum, picking up sticks in the clearing. A few minutes after, I had cleared our campsite, and everyone had returned and we began to cook and eat the food we had gathered.

"Mmm... It's been too long since I last had bear meat. Delicious!" Chrom happily said as he ate. "What's wrong, Lissa? Dig in." He added, having noted that Lissa was staring at the meat in disgust.

"Pass! Gods, couldn't you spear us an animal normal people eat for once? I, mean come on! Who eats bear!? You're meddling with the food chain." Lissa groaned. "Right, Norril, Nyx?" She asked, turning her attention to my brother and me.

"We did at least find some berries. It's just too bad we didn't catch anything before nightfall." I said with a sympathetic smile.

"I eat whatever I am given. Better than starving yourself." Norril answered, his eyes focusing on the fire.

"I suppose a person would enjoy just about anything after not eating for days..." Lissa sighed.

"Just eat it, Lissa. Meat is meat." Chrom chuckled.

"Since when does meat smell like old boots!? Wait, I take that back-boots smell better!" Lissa shouted.

"Every experience makes us stronger, milady. Even those we don't enjoy." Frederick calmly spoke.

"Really? Then why don't I see  _you_ eating, Frederick?" Lissa questioned suspiciously.

"Me? Oh, well... I'm not hungry, I... I had a large lunch! Yes, quite." He replied, very unconvincingly lying.

"Yeah right, Frederick!" Lissa pouted. I couldn't help but let out a giggle, the exchange was amusing and so were Frederick's lying skills. Absolutely terrible. It wasn't much longer until everyone finished and we decided who would be taking which watch over the night. At some point, when Chrom was taking watch, him and Lissa disappeared. In that time, something that seemed like it would happen at the end of the world happened. An earthquake that lifted the ground up so far, bringing lava up with it. And these monsters that looked like decaying corpses mixed with old voodoo dolls. All the chaos woke the remaining three at the camp. And we ran, searching for Chrom and Lissa. When we found them, and I spotted the creatures that had fallen from the sky, a chill shivered down my spine. How much more horrifying could these creatures look?

"Milord! Milady! Are you hurt?" Frederick worriedly asked as we approached the chaos.

"Frederick! Norril! Nyx!" Lissa shouted the color drained from her face.

"Are such horrific creatures commonplace in these lands?" Norril asked with a grimace, moving himself in front of me again.

"They're not from Ylisse, I promise you that." Chrom frowned.

"No one is injured, then? Thank the gods..." Frederick sighed in relief.

"Thank the masked man who saved me! If it wasn't for him, I'd be..." Lissa said with a weak smile, looking around for someone it seemed. "Hey, where did he go?"

"We can worry about him later  _after_ we put these... things... to the blade." Frederick said, gripping his weapon.

"Agreed. Once we make sure we are safe, then we can search for your masked savior." Norril said with a nod.

"Eyes open, now. We know nothing about this enemy." Frederick added.

"Hmm... let's see what we can do then. One, two, three... Seven. There are seven of those... things. From what I can see, they only have one archer. Most of them have axes. We're going to probably need to spread out a bit more this time." I spoke, taking note of our surroundings and our foes.

"Just like the last battle, Lissa you'll need to stay further away from the foes, and close to allies. Delicate or not, you have no weapon to defend yourself with. So stay near Nyx or me. Chrom, Frederick, you both take the charge. Be careful." Norril spoke, his eyes looking between our group and our new battlefield.

"Our foes are on the move. Let's go." I said, grabbing onto my spellbook, ready to battle. Norril, Lissa, and I moved forward a bit, hoping to get close to one of the creatures that were lurking near the edge of the clearing.

"Thunder!" Norril exclaimed, shooting the strange enemy down with the spell. I noted that Chrom and Frederick had also taken another one down. Then, in the same direction that Frederick and Chrom stood, came a woman with short red hair and red armor, followed by a man with long silver-blue hair, and frilly clothes.

"Chrom! Frederick! Behind you!" I shouted, not knowing if these new strangers would be friend or foe.

"That's Sully! I'm not sure who that other person with her is, but Sully is on our side." Lissa said, a small sigh escaping her lips.

"Good. We could use more allies." Norril said with a nod, gesturing for us to follow him. I looked over and saw, the woman I guessed was Sully, and the man following her, take down another of our foes.

"There's the archer. I should be able to hit him. Which will leave only the ones out in the open." I said, preparing and aiming my spell. "Thunder!" I shouted, hitting the strange archer. Norril nodded, and began to quickly move towards our last remaining foes, Lissa and I in tow. Fortunately, the others were able to handle the remaining foes without us. Things began to settle down and someone began to approach our group. Their hair was a deep blue, the same shade as Chrom's, I noted. And stuck out more in the back, but not in a, 'I-haven't-brushed-my-hair' way, more like there was even more hair under that part. They also wore a strange mask, that reminded me of both a butterfly and a bird.

"It seems all the creatures are vanquished. This young man took care of the others." Frederick spoke, referring to the stranger.

"Um, I never got to thank you... for before. So... thank you. You were very brave." Lissa said a smile on her face, and seemingly, a small blush too.

"You saved my sister's life. My name is Chrom. Might I ask yours?" Chrom said, smiling at the stranger.

"You may call me Marth." The stranger spoke, their voice, a tad higher than I had expected and sounding a bit forced.

"Marth? After the heroic king of old? You certainly fight like a hero. Where did you learn your way with a sword?" Chrom asked with a friendly smile.

"I'm not here to talk about me." Marth replied, his lips curling downwards. "This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude. You have been warned." He finished his words ones that seemed to make him sick from the way he frowned. Once finished speaking, Marth turned and walked away, vanishing into the forest.

"Huh? What's teetering where now? Hey, wait!" Lissa called out to him, but he did not turn back.

"Not much for conversation, is he?" Norril said, staring at where Marth had walked.

"It appears his skills lie elsewhere. I wager we'll hear his name again. But for now, I'm more concerned about the capital. We should make haste." Frederick said. Everyone nodded in agreement, such beasts would cause certain panic and fear should they arrive in the capital. And so, we began to walk again towards the capital.

"Ah, the Gods truly have blessed me today." The man with the silver-blue hair spoke. "I am Virion. It is my pleasure to make my acquaintance with you." He finished, taking my hand and kissing it.

"I... ah... I-I am Nyx. It's a pleasure to meet you too." I stuttered, the heat building up in my cheeks. I hardly had to look to feel my brother glaring daggers at our new ally.

"Norril." He said, his voice almost a growl. Virion just smiled, turning his attention to introduce himself to the remaining three people. In the meantime, I made my way towards the other new ally.

"Hello. I'm Nyx. This is my twin brother Norril." I said, my voice still a bit quiet from the sudden flustering I had just received.

"The name's Sully." The redhead answered, her voice a bit rough.

"It's nice to meet you, Sully. As long as we're allies I hope we can get along." I spoke with a smile. Sully gave a small smile and nod before turning her attention back to the road ahead of us. And I chose to do the same, not really knowing what all to talk about to anyone really. Not even my brother.

It wasn't long before we made our way to a bustling town. People were moving about, buying things from stalls, chatting with others as they walked, it was truly a splendid sight.

"So this is Ylisstol, capital of Ylisse... I-I've never seen so many people!" I exclaimed, taking everything in.

"It appears the capital was spared the chaos we encountered, thank the gods." Frederick spoke with a sigh of relief. "I see no evidence of the great quake. It must've been limited to the forest."

"Well, that's a relief!" Lissa exclaimed happily looking around.

"Look! The exalt has come to see us!" Shouted an older man excitedly. Walking down the street was a young woman with longish blonde hair that appeared to be lightly curled and a pale green and yellow dress. She was followed by several knights, which was quite understandable.

"The exalt is your ruler, yes? I see she has guards behind her, but none in the front. Is it safe for her to walk among commoners like this?" Norril asked, watching the exalt.

"The exalt, named Lady Emmeryn, is a symbol of peace-Ylisse's most prized quality. Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the fell dragon tried to destroy the world. But the first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace we fought for then." Frederick spoke, staring fondly at Lady Emmeryn.

"With Plegia poking at our borders, the people need her. She's a calming presence, when some might otherwise call for war." Chrom added.

"Then the Ylissean people are indeed lucky to have her. A ruler who can bring peace to people is rare enough, but one who brings such peace that she needs not have guards surrounding her entirely is another thing all its own." I said gently. "I will admit, just looking at her certainly does make me feel relaxed. She seems to give off this, warm, motherly feeling. At least, that's what I feel from just looking at her and hearing what you have to say." I added.

"She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!" Lissa exclaimed happily.

"Yes, I imagine she..." Norril began with a smile, only for him to realize what Lissa had said. "Wait, what? She's your... But wouldn't that make you and Chrom..." He began to mutter.

"The prince and princess of the realm, yes. You remember Chrom's name and not this?" Frederick asked with a rather amused smile.

"Oh, Gods... Norril. We're dead." I said with a nervous laugh.

"You said you were 'shepherds'" Norril exclaimed nervously.

"And so we are... in a manner of speaking. We just have a  _lot_ of sheep." Chrom said.

"C-Chrom... I-I mean, Prince Chrom! Sire! Forgive my dreadful manners!" I nervously exclaimed, bowing my head low.

"Just Chrom is fine. I've never been much for formalities." Chrom said with a laugh.

"T-the prince... and princess... Gods... that explains why Frederick tolerates the teasing." I murmured.

"Indeed. Oh, the sacrifices I make for the good of the realm." Frederick sighed.

"It looks like Emm is returning to the palace. Would you like to meet her?" Chrom said, smiling and gesturing for us to follow him. We followed closely behind, entering the large and beautiful castle.

"Chrom! Lissa! Welcome home. Oh, and good day, Frederick. How fared you all?" Lady Emmeryn said with a smile.

"Well-we shouldn't have any bandit problems for a while." Chrom answered.

"Wonderful. And our people?" She asked.

"Safe as they can be, Emm. But we still need to watch the borders. The brigands crossed over from Plegia." Chrom frowned.

"Forgive me, milord. My pegasus knights should have intercepted them." Said a woman with pale blue hair tied up into a bun.

"No, Phila. Your duty was here, with the exalt." Chrom said firmly.

"Abd besides, we had plenty of help!" Lissa exclaimed with a smile.

"Ah, you speak of your new companions here?" Emmeryn asked, turning her attention to Norril and I.

"This is Norril and Nyx. They fought bravely with us against the brigands. I've decided to make them both Shepherds." Chrom said with a smile.

"It sounds as though Ylisse owes you both a debt of gratitude, Norril, and Nyx." Emmeryn said, gently smiling at us.

"N-not at all, milady!" I nervously exclaimed.

"We were just doing what was right." Norril said.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but I must speak. They both claim to have lost their memory, but it is only that: a claim. We cannot rule out the possibility that they are brigands themselves, or even Plegian spies." Frederick spoke plainly.

"Frederick!" Chrom exclaimed, frowning at Frederick.

"Yet you allowed them into the castle, Chrom. Do these people have your trust?" Emmeyrn asked Chrom.

"Yes. They risked their lives for our people. That's good enough for me." Chrom spoke firmly.

"Well then, Norril, Nyx... It seems you've earned Chrom's faith, and as such you have mine as well." Emmeyrn smiled.

"T-thank you milady." I said, bowing my head, Norril doing the same.

"But thank you, Frederick, for your prudence, as always. Chrom and Lissa are blessed to have so tireless a guardian. I do hope they remember to mention that from time to time..." She spoke softly.

"They occasionally express something akin to gratitude, Your Grace. Phila, I assume you've heard about the deathly creatures we encountered, yes?" Frederick spoke. Just remembering the creatures sent a chill down my spine.

"Yes, milord. They've been sighted all across Ylisse." Phila said.

"Chrom, we are about to hold council. I was hoping you could join us." Emmeryn requested of Chrom.

"Of course." Chrom replied with a nod.

"I think that's our cue, Norril, Nyx! C'mon, there's a place I want to show you." Lissa happily said, running off. Norril and I followed after her.


	2. The Shepherds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Norril's POV
> 
> After arriving in the capital and meeting the royals, Lissa takes Norril and Nyx to meet some of the other Shepherds. Chrom gives them a mission, to march to Regna Ferox the next morning.

I darted after my sister, who was, in turn, darting after Lissa. It was only when we arrived in a cluttered room, that Lissa stopped running.

"Here we are! The Shepherds' garrison." Lissa said proudly. "Go on, make yourself at home." I took a look around the room, seeing a few unfamiliar faces. I gently smiled at Nyx, letting her know that, should she need it, I would be there to help her get out if she felt uncomfortable.

"Lissa, my treasure! Are you alright? I've been on pins and needles!" Exclaimed a worried and very ladylike voice. A young lady, dressed in pale pink clothes, her blonde hair curled immaculately, and adorned with two rather large white bows on either side of her head, ran up to Lissa.

"Oh, hey, Maribelle!" Lissa said, quite casually.

"'Oh, hey' yourself! I've sprouted 14 grey hairs fretting over you!" The young lady, Maribelle, exclaimed.

"Aw, you worry too much. I can handle a battle or two! Although I could do without the bugs and the bear barbecue." Lissa said, laughing her friend's worry off.

"Hey, squirt! Where's Chrom?" Asked a man who wore very little. A rather dangerous idea if you can't take hits, but he seemed to be fairly strong. "I bet he had a rough time out there without ol' Teach and his trusty axe!"

"Oh, so you're "Teach" now, Vaike, is that it?" Lissa said, giggling to herself. "And here I thought people were just born lacking wits. It can be taught?"

"Ha! Never doubt the Vaike!" The man exclaimed. Then realized that what Lissa just said. "Wait, was that an insult?"

"Beg pardon, but when might w see the captian?" Another girl piped up. She had long light brown hair and what seemed to be hair clips shaped like the wings of pegasi. She wore light, pink armor.

"Poor Sumia. She's been simply beside herself with concern..." Maribelle said with a sympathetic look. "Her eyes were scanning the horizon all day during training. She might have earned fewer bruises fighting blindfolded."

"Aw, Sumia, that's so sweet of you to worry about Chrom." Lissa said with a giggle.

"Worry? Well, I... he's our captain and our prince-of course I'd worry!" Sumia said, with a small smile.

"So, who're the strangers?" Vaike asked, turning his attention from the ladies, to Nyx and I.

"No one's stranger than you, Vaike... But allow me to introduce, Norril and Nyx! They just joined the Shepherds. Chrom has made them our new tacticians. You should see all the tricks they have up their sleeves!" Lissa excitedly spoke.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances everyone. I do hope we can all get along so long as we are allies." Nyx spoke gently.

"It's good to meet you." I said.

"Oh yeah? Can they do this?" Vaike asked before belching loudly.

"I-I... uhm... no? I do not believe I can." Nyx said, her eyes staring at Vaike in surprise.

"Nor can I. It's never a skill I thought to pick up." I added. It seemed that many of the Shepherds would be very interesting characters.

"Ugh, Vaike! That was abhorrent! Must you baseborn oafs pollute even the air with your buffoonery?" Maribelle said with a grimace before walking away.

"Don't take it to heart, Norril, Nyx. Maribelle warms to people slowly." Sumia said gently.

"Or burns too quickly!" Lissa giggled. "But yeah, just give her time." I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Chrom approaching.

"Ah! Captain! You've returned! I was- I mean, we were so-" Sumia excitedly began, walking forwards only to trip and fall.

"Sumia! Are you all right? Those boots of yours again?" Chrom asked, his expression worried as Sumia got up.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean..." Sumia sighed, clearly flustered.

"All right, listen, everyone: in the morning, we'll be marching to Regna Ferox." Chrom stated.

"Regna Ferox?" I asked. Noticing Nyx's confusion.

"A unified kingdom to Ylisse's north. Inhabited by barbarians, or so it's said." Sumia answered.

"Warriors are what they are, and we'll need their strength to quell this new menace." Chrom corrected. "Typically, the exalt would request such aid in person. But given recent events... Well, the people might worry should my sister suddenly leave the capital. So the task has been passed to us." He finished.

"Hm. Yes that would be quite a problem." I noted.

"Now, this mission is strictly voluntary. So if, for any-" Chrom began.

"I volunteer!" Lissa exclaimed.

"Me too! You'll be needin' ol' Teach along for such a delicate mission!" Vaike exclaimed.

"I'll go as well." Spoke a soft voice of a young man in large heavy armor.

"I... I, um... It's just that... I'm not sure I'm quite ready for a proper mission just yet. I'd probably just get in the way." Sumia nervously spoke.

"Well, you could stay behind the main group, and if a battle is met, just watch and learn? Your choice, of course. But some lessons can only be learned on the battlefield." Chrom spoke, he certainly had the voice of a leader.

"W-well, if you think it wise, Captain." Sumia gently nodded.

"Just stay by me and you'll be fine." He smiled. Sumia's cheeks flushed a light pink and she nodded excitedly. 

"I will join too. Knowing Norril, he will be coming too. And you do need your tacticians." Nyx said, smiling as she looked from Chrom to me.

"Well of course. You may be an adult, and only five minutes younger than me, but you are still my little sister. I need to be there for you." I said, looking fondly at my twin sister. Nyx smiled and shook her head, sighing gently.

"Why don't I show you two the rooms you'll stay in for the night?" Chrom said, smiling at us.

"Thank you Chrom, that would be wonderful." Nyx said with a gentle smile. I nodded.

"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance everyone." I spoke, turning to the others.

"I do hope we can become friends." Nyx added. We then left the room, following Chrom to a pair of doors.

"I guessed that you would probably want your own rooms, but also wouldn't want to be far from each other." Chrom spoke with a light chuckle.

"Thank you Chrom. I am going to go wash up, laying in the dirt certainly doesn't help keep your already messy hair clean. I will see you gentlemen later." Nyx said, bowing a bit before entering the bedroom on the right.

"Thank you. For having our rooms be next to each other. As an older brother yourself, I'm sure you can understand how I feel. Nyx feels like she is much younger than me at times, and I can't help but grow protective of her when she is nervous or scared. She makes herself even smaller than she already is, like she is trying to vanish. It pains me to see her like that." I spoke clearly.

"I do understand, at least in part. Lissa was never very shy. But I do understand wanting to protect your sister." Chrom spoke.

"If I ever come off as, rude or anything like that, it's likely because Nyx is nervous. I just thought I should warn you." I said before bowing. "I will see you again soon." I finished, entering the room on the left. I sighed as I closed the door. I never was nearly as good with talking as Nyx was. I took a look around the room, it was a splendid room, many luxuries there. I noticed a mirror and looked into it, my hair was a tangled, dirty mess. I looked terrible, and once I finally relaxed, I felt entirely worn out. I needed to clean up and rest, especially before tomorrow, and so I did.

"Is everyone ready? We've a long march ahead." Chrom spoke. We were just about to leave to head to Regna Ferox.

"W-wait for me!" Exclaimed a voice, and a young man ran up.

"Stahl?" Chrom questioned, turning his head towards the young man. His brown hair looked a bit like he had just rolled out of bed, though I will admit I don't put much effort into my hair unless it looks especially bad, and he wore dark green armor.

"Why am I the last to hear about this expedition to Ferox?" The young man sighed.

"Huh? Vaike was supposed to..." Lissa said, surprised and concerned. "Vaike! Did you forget to tell Stahl about our mission?" She shouted at Vaike. Her cheeks were puffed out a little and I couldn't help but find her to be quite cute like this.

"The Vaike never forgets! I just don't always remember, is all..." Vaike said nervously.

"Ugh... I swear, you'd forget your own name if you weren't constantly saying it yourself!" She huffed. "Speaking of which, are you  _sure_ you remembered your axe this time?"

"Hey! That was one time! Okay, twice, but training sessions don't count." Vaike said defensively. "Anyway, I got it right here. Teach is loaded and ready for action! Glad to have you along, Stahl, ol' buddy."

"That makes one of us. I was in such a hurry, I had to miss breakfast!" The man that I assumed was Stahl, spoke with a sigh. "There were muffins, and cakes, and... Well, I can tell you all about it while we march."

"Hello. Your name is Stahl, right?" Nyx spoke, looking up at Stahl. When I looked between the two, I noticed Stahl was a bit taller than me, making him quite the amount taller than Nyx.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Nyx, Norril. This is Stahl, one of our finest." Chrom said, introducing us.

"Hello, Nyx, Norril. Miriel told me we had new Shepherds. Er, Miriel's one of our mages. She should catch up soon." Stahl spoke.

"It's nice to meet you Stahl. I do hope we can get along well." Nyx said with a smile.

"Mhm. It's good to meet you." I said with a nod. We began to walk forward, and I glanced over to Nyx. She seemed to be quite calm and relaxed, which was a relief. I smiled and ruffled her hair. Nyx rolled her eyes with a smile at me, before sticking her tongue out at me.

"Gods, have the Risen spread this far?" Chrom spoke, as he stopped.

"Risen?" I asked, glancing at Chrom before looking to the creatures we were about to fight.

"We needed a name for this new threat, so the council gave them one." Frederick said, grabbing onto his weapon.

"Everyone, remember what we're up against!" Chrom exclaimed.

"Alright, there seems to be twelve foes." I said, glancing around our battlefield.

"Yes. As usual, Lissa, stay close to the back. Frederick, you take on that one closest. Stahl, Virion, you take on the second one. Chrom, Sully, go get the one on the fort. Norril, Lissa, and I will be in the back, and we'll hurry over if something starts going wrong." Nyx said, pointing towards each Risen.

"That sounds good. I'll watch the ones on the bridge. They'll be next." I spoke with a nod. Everyone began to charge forward. Everyone wiped out the first few foes, I quickly looked around, seeing that the remaining foes didn't see us, and were not moving towards us. "Alright, we're safe for a bit." I said.

"Mhm. For now, let's tend to any wounds we have." Nyx added. A woman with glasses, and short straight red hair, approached our group. "Oh, hello there. I am guessing you are Miriel. I'm Nyx. This is Norril. We're regrouping right now."

"For our next attack, Sully, Stahl, Frederick, you three take the lead. Chrom, Vaike, you follow after. Lissa, you stay close to the rest of us. We will all be behind." I said staring at the Risen.

"That will definitely be good starting for this section." Nyx nodded. "Once we get past the first two that are right after the bridge, we will split off." I nodded and we again charged into battle, Nyx and I both shooting instructions at our allies as needed.

"Just one last one! I'll get him!" I exclaimed, running towards the final enemy. I shot two bolts of lightning at the foe, destroying it.

"Finally, and good riddance!" Chrom exclaimed, approaching me, with the others following closely. "But if they're appearing this far up the Northroad..." He said with a grim expression.

"Then no path is safe. We'll need to stay wary." Frederick finished.

"We'll have to make as much as we can with the time we do get between our fights." I said, my eyes scanning the road ahead. "I think the road should be clear for a bit. I don't see much other than grass and rocks." With that, we resumed our march. Only after a few minutes did anyone spot anything different.

"Wait... what do we have here?" Nyx asked with a gentle gasp.

"Hey, is that what I think it is?" Lissa asked softly, her eyes lit up with excitement.

"It's a pegasus, all right. I think it's hurt. Let's just have a look here..." Chrom said, approaching the winged horse.

"Ah... Do be careful, if it really is hurt it might also be easy to spook, Chrom." Nyx said, staring in awe. As Chrom approached the mare, it reared up, startled.

"Woah! Down, girl! Easy there!" Chrom nervously exclaimed, backing up a little.

"Captain, one moment!" Sumia gently exclaimed, approaching, only to fall flat on her face again.

"Sumia! Are you all right? Those boots of yours again?" Chrom said, wincing a bit.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean..." Sumia spoke, sighing as she grew flustered again.

"Well, come no closer. This beast is crazed!" Chrom spoke.

"It's okay, Captain. I can handle this..." Sumia spoke softly. "Shhh... Easy now, girl. I won't hurt you." Sumia said, in almost a whisper as she slowly aproached the pegasus.

"Oh wow... Sumia the pegasus whisperer." Nyx gently spoke, her eyes and voice filled with awe.

"That's incredible, Sumia!" Lissa exclaimed excitedly.

"I've never seen anything like it." Chrom spoke.

"Oh. It's... it's nothing. Really. I just have a way with animals, I guess." Sumia replied with a smile.

"I should say so!" Chrom exclaimed with a smile.

"You all go on ahead. I'll dress her wounds and catch up as soon as we're able." Sumia said.

"We can make time to wait for you." Chrom offered.

"Thank you, Captain. But I can manage. Every moment is precious when all of Ylisse is in danger."

"Right, then. Be safe, Sumia."

"As you command, sir."

"That's not a skill that I would discount." I spoke plainly. "Being able to easily calm animals, that is a skill that very much could help at many points in life. Such a skill could save someone's life." I added, as we walked on. "Please be sure to give yourself the credit you deserve. It wouldn't do to have someone allow their talents and skills go to waste."


End file.
